At Least, Be Human
by Unknown Crow
Summary: The world stands at the brink of devastation. But amid the chaos, someone, potentially from another world entirely, finds themselves completely overwhelmed with the harshness of combat and the chaos of war...
1. Chapter 1

My slumber is gone with the sound of two voices.

"So, Pheros. You say that you found this whelp in the treasure room?"

"Indeed. Unconscious and laid over a chest."

My eyes slowly adjust to the dark room. Two figures stand just out of eyesight.

I try to move. Chains and shackles hold me to an upright board of wood. The last thing I remember...the party? Yeah. Got drunk. Can't remember much after the drinking contest.

Ah, my parents would be so ashamed. Their son has somehow found himself in a medieval torture room.

"Ah! It appears as if our little prisoner is awake!"

My mouth tries and fails to make words.

The figures step into the light. One of them is dressed in robes, the other in light armor. Armored one appears to be a woman, judging by the hair.

What is also clear is that they are right out of some fantasy novel or something.

"Well, Excellus. I leave you to your work," the armored woman says before walking out.

This Excellus person...

I've never heard the name before.

But now this robed...man, I think, is humming. He lights a candle and now his face is illuminated.

He looks at me and grins.

"Well, well. They say you were in the treasure room. Naughty, naughty. And dear, dear Pheros asked me to find out if you know anything about Say'ri's little band of rebels," Excellus says, pulling out a book with a yellow cover.

"...Where am I?" My voice is weak and raspy.

"Really? You don't know, thief? Well, right now you are in Fort Steiger. But very shortly, you will be in your own personal hell."

Torture.

I don't know how, but somehow I made my way into some fantasy realm. And now I am about to be tortured for information that I don't know.

"Do you know what this is?"

Excellus holds up the yellow book. By the light of the single candle, I can see that there is a sort of star design on the cover.

"No." It's a very nice looking book, I'll give him that.

Excellus grins at me. "Well, whelp, this right here is an Arcthunder tome. More powerful than both Thunder and Elthunder. And right here, right now, I'm going to pour all of its energy into your body. If it's only for a short time, it won't kill you."

"But I never heard that before." My voice is no longer so weak, but it is still quite raspy.

"You look like a tough guy. But I've got bad news for you. There is no one coming to rescue you. When you die, it's game over."

I'm silent. He takes my silence as me being intimidated. Which I kind of am. "Starting to feel a little scared? Good. Let's get started."

He grabs one of my shackles with his hand. The other hand holds the book. Yellow runes and sigils appear in midair around him.

Pain shoots through my body.

When I was eleven, I broke my arm falling out of an apple tree I had climbed. That was the worst pain I had ever felt until now.

I'm going to die.

I'm not going to live.

I will never see Becky again. Or Mark. Or even that asshole Tyler.

This is the reality that greets me.

Then, at the point where I am about to die, the constant pain stops.

Above is is the sound of people running, metal clanging against metal.

"It would seem as if there are other matters I need to attend to," Excellus says. "Sit tight, plebeian." He laughs as he walks out the door.

Ha. Ha. Ha. Very funny.

I can't do anything.

The sounds of what I can only assume to be a battle slowly fade out. I am left in silence, and almost darkness. If it wasn't for this lone candle, scraping away constantly against the dark, I would be in complete and total darkness.

Okay. So. Time to think about what happened at the party and why it might have led to me ending up in a torture room.

First I arrive. The term party is sort of loose, because it's technically a weekly get together between our group of friends. Mark hosted this one.

Next comes the games. I consider myself decent at video games, but this guy David is probably the best of our group.

Anyway, someone proposes a drinking game. Beers come out. We play more games, and then get more drunk.

...And I can't remember anything after Mark pulled out the 64.

So how in the hell did I end up in the treasure room of a medieval fort? And why?

Two voices in the distance. Both male. I close my eyes and try to focus on what they are saying.

"...Geez, the tactician seems more in charge of the army than the Exalt."

"The Exalt cannot take on everything. Someone must be in charge of the army, and it's definitely not going to be Vaike."

"You've got a point there, Frederick."

A man clad in blue armor throws open the door and steps inside. He takes note of me and turns to the other man, who stands just outside.

"Fetch a healer. Preferably Lissa, but anyone who can use a stave half-decently will do."

The other man jogs off.

The blue-armor clad man finds the keys to my shackles hanging on the wall. And then he frees me. He catches me as I sort of slump over and begins carrying me out of the torture room.

"T-thank you," I mutter. My eyesight fades in and out, but I can see his nod.

My consciousness fades. Is this the end?

No. It won't be. I have to live. I have to get back to the future. Back to my home.

I will survive.

I am not going to die.

I am not going to die.

I am not going to die!

* * *

><p><em>The tactician looked at the unconscious, half-dead man Frederick and Stahl had found in the torture room. Messy brown hair. Strange clothes. Burn scars covered his body.<em>

_"We'll have to bring him along, I suppose," the tactician said. "Doesn't look like any Chon'sin or one of the Valmese."_

_"Is that wise?"_

_"I'm not sure. I only know that he's as good as dead if we leave him."_

_"Well, it's your call...Robin."_


	2. Chapter 2

I lay on what feels like a cot. It's definitely fabric, but nothing so nice one could call it a bed. The quality reminds me of nights spent camping in the woods.

What was I doing, again? Ah yes. "Excellus." "Arcthunder." "Steiger." Names I knew but didn't understand flashed in my brain. Each linked to an image. A slightly deformed man in a robe. A yellow book that brings pain. And a torture room with only a candle to take stab away at the darkness.

That sounds awfully poetic. Haven't written poetry since the tenth grade. Good year.

My eyes open slowly. Another unfamiliar room greets me, but this one is more of a tent.

"Well, look who's awake." The man above me says. He might be around my age, maybe a bit older. His hair is bright white and his eyes are calculating everything. A dark longcoat hangs over his frame. "Wondered when you'd wake up."

I blink at him and begin to sit up.

"Woah there. Take it slow now. You've been hurt...rather badly, and that's just my non-medical perspective," the man says before sitting down by me. "The name's Robin. I'm a tactician."

"I'm John," I manage to say. I still need a drink. "Water, please."

"John, huh?" Robin hands me a glass of water and helps me into a seated position. I take a long drink. When I finish, Robin leans forward. "So, John. Where are you from?"

"What?" I ask. Voice is much better.

"...Well, 'What' isn't a country I've ever heard of," Robin replies.

"I, uh, don't know," I say finally. He'd probably look at me like a lunatic if I listed off someplace that probably didn't exist yet, or somewhere that would never exist.

"Amnesia, huh? I can sympathize with that." Robin pulls a book off a nearby table and begins to scribble down some writing on it.

"What are you doing?" I ask after he finishes.

"I'm making notes. It is always handy to have as much knowledge as you can, especially when dealing in the business of warfare," he says, setting the book down and coming to sit back down. "Learned that from an old book by a legendary Chon'sin general."

I'm silent.

"So, John," Robin says. "You suffered through a bit during your stay in the Fort, given your wounds?" He glances over my body.

"I guess you could say that," I reply.

"Do you have any knowledge of swordplay?" Robin asks me calmly.

"No."

"Can you use a lance?" His tone is a tiny bit more forceful, but still fairly calm.

"I don't think so, no."

"What about battle axes? Any proficiency in those?" The slight edge in his voice becomes more and more pronounced with each word.

"No, sir."

"Ever fired a bow?"

"I think I can."

"Any knowledge of magic?" He is clearly frustrated now. He doesn't try and hide it.

"Nope," I say.

Robin stands up. "Well, it was nice to meet you," he says right before he walks out of the tent.

I lean back and sigh a deep sigh.

* * *

><p>As I lay hoizontal, painful memories try to force their way into my consciousness. There really isn't much that can be done about my situation, so I try to think of the positive elements of this whole mess.<p>

I find that really hard, given how pretty much my entire experience so far has been me being tortured by some sort of hideous wizard. And then, of course, there's that Robin guy. He seems like the kind of guy who sees everything very analytically.

I remember something randomly. It's weird, but what I remember is Mark applying for the Army. He was really convinced that it was the only way he could be part of something larger. We eventually convinced him to abandon the idea, but his conviction echoed inside my brain, over and over.

I don't know what to do right now.

...It's really hot, actually. I take a sip of the now-lukewarm water.

I look around the tent. No others lay in beds, and there's nobody about. This is weird. Bizarre, almost. How quickly do injuries heal? I seem to be almost fully recovered, but there's probably some magical reason for that. If magic can hurt, it can probably heal, too. Like Taoism. The whole idea of balance and the yin and yang. Contradictions are actually complementary.

An armored woman with bright red hair walks into the tent. She gives me a curt nod and checks the medical supplies.

Well...she's certainly not bad to look at.

She turns to me. "Robin wants you to listen in on the strategy meeting," she says. "His tent is the red one."

She walks out of the small medical tent.

Okay. So now I'm being invited to a strategy meeting by a man whose only interaction with me was to ask my name and if I could use a series of weapons? Something doesn't add up.

Wait. Robin said he could sympathize with my false amnesia. Is he trying to see if we are somehow similar?

That would make sense. Maybe by exposing me to things he has knowledge of, he is trying to force me to remember? Is this his motivation? Or does he think that we can recover our memories togther?

I think by claiming amnesia I have made this situation even more complicated than it has to be. Well. Shit.

I get up. My body still aches from the...torture. But that doesn't mean I can't walk. The daylight hurts my eyes at first, but I adjust. The camp is fairly small. Not the camp of a full legion. More like a platoon. In the distance, what looks like a volcano smolders. But right around the camp is a more forested terrain.

I see the red tent easily. Its size is only dwarfed by a much larger blue tent. Inside, Robin sits reading a book. It's cover reveals nothing about its contents.

"Do you know why I asked you to this strategy meeting, John?" Robin doesn't even look up from his tome.

"...No," I say plainly. Well, I have an inkling of why, but it's sort of vague to verbalize.

"I am a tactician, John. That is the first thing that anyone will know about me. I will always be one." He closes the book and looks me in the eyes. "I do not know who you are. I do not know why you were locked in Fort Steiger's dungeons." He rests his chin on his left hand.

"I don't know how, but they said I was found inside the treasure room," I say slowly.

"It honestly does not matter." Robin runs his left eye before continuing. "I want to understand your strengths. Your weaknesses. How exactly you can fit into the rest of our team."

"I don't really have many useful skills," I say. "I can cook decently enough, and I can clean. I'm not the best organized, though."

"Well, then. From what I gathered earlier, you won't be seeing front line duty for a while. First there must be training of the mind and body," the tactician says. "You can be useful here. Don't worry." He walks over to a table displaying a map. Several markers are placed on what appear to be key points. It is also completely indecipherable to me.

"...I don't understand this," I say.

He claps me on the back. "Don't worry. What you should know is the plan." He pointed to a blue marker. "This is us. We escaped from Fort Steiger here," he points to a red marker, "and a strike force of soldiers is up here, attacking the Conquerer himself." He points to another red marker.

I nod. Even though I still don't quite get it, things are starting to arrange themselves like a jigsaw puzzle in my head.

"We are going to be engaging Yen'fay's forces in this area," he makes a large circle with his index finger. "If all goes to plan, reinforcements will be delayed, allowing us to finish off one half of the total forces with one fell swoop."

"Divide and conquer," I say. Old tactics still work. Even modern military strategists still read Sun Tzu.

"Exactly," he says firmly. "By not allowing them to join into one massive army, they are weak." He grins slightly psychotically. "Weakness means victory without much loss of life."

A blue haired man enters the tent. He is clad in armor that really doesn't protect much other than one of his shoulders. His clothes are actually really asymmetrical, now that I look at it. A lot of dark blue contrasted with white. Following behind him is a woman clad in vaguely Eastern clothing, two swords strapped to her waist. "Ah, you must be the one Frederick found in the dungeons," the man says. "My name is Chrom, and this is Say'ri."

"I'm John," I say simply.

"Let us get down to business. At the minimum, we have less than a few hours until either the dynasts or Yen'fay's forces are upon us," Robin says, face grim.

Chrom steps forward. "And with our vastly smaller force it would be suicide to engage on two fronts." He puts his fist in his hand. "Our battlefield must be chosen carefully." At that moment, Chrom seemed to have a realization. "Say'ri, about that mountain to the west. It has no trees, and yet it burns with the intensity of a forest fire. What is it?"

I decide to interject. "It's a volcano."

Say'ri nods. "That volcano is named the Demon's Ingle. All the people of Valm know and fear it, and few would get close and risk angering the great fire god that dwells within."

Robin smirks. "Perfect."

* * *

><p>The volcano, naturally, is hot. Bridges of rock surround pools of lava. Robin points out chokepoints to the entire army. I can see why he's a tactician. He's either brilliant or insane if his plan is to lure the enemy into a deathtrap.<p>

He hands me a bronze shortsword, just in case. I'm not going to be on the front lines, but anything can happen.

The red-haired woman who is riding a pegasus, whose name is Cordelia, as Robin tells me, reports in on the enemy's location. Only Yen'fay's forces have followed us into this hell. Soon they'll clash with us.

I'm terrified. This could go very badly. The rock can be very narrow. The lava, well, it's hot. That much is obvious.

The enemy arrives. Foot soldiers, cavalry, fliers. They outnumber us. Robin's eyes light up.

The rock bridges and "islands" form three paths. We sit at one end, occupying three islands. The enemy is moving to take as much space as possible, rather than pooling their forces at one end and waiting for us. The combatants stand at the ready.

And then the battle is begun. Our soldiers meet with the enemy, exchanging blows. My eyes scan for the enemy commander.

Way up at the the other end of the battlefield, a lone man stands on a protrusion in the rock. While the rest of our forces clash below him, he merely watches. That is the commander. Yen'fay.

Meanwhile, Say'ri is running. She is cleaving through the enemy toward the enemy commander. Nothing will stop her. The wounds she inflicts on her foes aren't lethal, though. Everyone else has to finish off those she leaves.

She leaps an astounding distance and lands on the edge of the rock protrusion. A moment passes between her and Yen'fay, and then he draws his sword. Their stances are almost identical.

Then the first clash. Yen'fay steps forward, strikes at her side, and she blocks. Then, without stopping, Yen'fay strikes again. This time the block is slower, but there is no injury. He does it again. Yen'fay is pushing forward with every strike.

Then the blades lock. Say'ri takes the opportunity to swing around using Yen'fay as the pivot point. The two clash again. This time the strikes and parries blur together.

Say'ri is put on the defense by Yen'fay's barrage of swipes. But she dodges and parries through every hit. They move back and forth from one end to the other, parrying and striking with no cease.

I've never seen swordplay like this. They go back to one edge and forward to another, and repeat the same journey.

But then, Yen'fay fails to block a strike. A large cut probably runs down his chest. I can't tell at this range. Without stopping, he manages to block what could have been a lethal blow, but Say'ri spins around and chops his sword arm clean off just below the elbow. His arm, sword still in hand, flies into the lava.

Holy shit.

He falls to his knees. Say'ri hesitates for what feels like an eternity before impaling him. His corpse slides off the woman's blade and tumbles into the lava river.

The enemy forces take notice of their commander's death. They, naturally, decide to make a hasty retreat. The remaining fliers pick up any surviving ground soldiers and airlift them out of the volcano.

Robin's mouth is set in a smile as we regroup. "Minor casualties, but nothing we can't fix," he says. "We are victorious."

Say'ri, however, does not seem to take joy in this victory. "Yen'fay," she mutters. "What did you seek, that you would join Walhart?"

Meters away a circle of light forms. Excellus appears in a flash. "What a good show! Ah, the grief and pain etched into his face! What an act, what a marvelous actor. It felt so real," the man says. "Ah, it is a shame that the world be deprived of such an actor."

My fist wraps around the hilt of the bronze sword. He is not armored. I can kill him.

Say'ri's anger is clear upon her face as she turns to view my former interrogator. "What would you know of my brother, toad?!"

Excellus laughs. "Didn't he tell you? The only reason he fought was so that you, his dear sister, would not be killed. He cast aside his pride and honor just to save you...and you just killed him!"

I have had enough. I draw the bronze sword Robin gave me and charge straight for Excellus-!

As I reach him, he teleports away. Pain stabs my body and I fall to my knees. That was not a smart move. And it was completely and totally worthless.

* * *

><p>My dreams that night are haunted by the same things, endlessly repeating. Arcthunder. Excellus. Shackles.<p>

My sleep is caught in snatches, like when you sleep on an airplane. It is shallow and never lasts more than an hour.

And I can't get the image of Excellus grinning out of my head.


	3. Chapter 3

_Robin's journal. Location: the "Divine Dragon Grounds"._

_Word came in after Yen'fay's defeat. Khan Basilio has reportedly fallen in battle. Walhart is our next target. Preparing to march on the capital. _

_Trouble is brewing on the horizon. The Gemstones of the Fire Emblem are converging, making Chrom a likely target for theft. Foolish man, thinks he can use a priceless artifact as a shield. _

_First, though, Naga's Voice is performing some ritual. Best prepare for trouble. There always is. People could have taken the moral and righteous path, like Emmeryn. Instead their madness will rise up and consume them whole. I will not save those already doomed by their own hand._

* * *

><p>I look over the Divine Dragon Grounds. Green and beautiful. This place would be relaxing normally, but for some reason an unnatural chill is running up and down my spine.<p>

It's like the world is yelling at the top of its lungs for me to get off its lawn.

I yawn. I didn't get enough sleep last night.

Something happened last night, too. Someone, clearly important, named Basilio died, apparently against the Conqueror we're going to face soon. From what I can tell he was some sort of warrior and-slash-or leader.

I wonder how strong the Conqueror really is. Can we go against someone of that magnitude...?

If there is a god, then I pray to him. Please let me and the others not die. And if we do die, make it, at the very least, a cool death.

Say'ri, Chrom, and Chrom's daughter Lucina, who apparently time-travelled from the future, are all gathered around this supposed "Naga's Voice". I don't know how godlike this Naga is, but having your own prophet is pretty damn godlike.

They're discussing the ritual this prophet, who looks like a girl fresh out of her teens, is undergoing. I've never been one for rituals or all that, so it's pretty boring.

"...Uh oh. Is that what I think it is? Say'ri! Lucina! Enemies approach us from the south."

...And naturally, this has to happen. Great.

Robin is quick to organize the army into a defensive formation. Using the wall of a temple as the back of our formation, our defenses resemble a massive V, or maybe U. Naga's Voice sits in the center, still performing the ritual.

Looks like this could get messy.

* * *

><p>Okay. So, quick summary of what I've learned since I wound up in whatever world this is.<p>

Ylisse is a nation who worships a god-dragon that is not evil. Plegia is a nation that worships a god-dragon who sounds pretty evil. Valm is under the control of Walhart the Conqueror. We're out to stop him. All the nations of the continent of Ylisse have put forth some effort into this endeavor.

But what is Walhart's motivation? World domination? No, world domination is exclusively the goal of Saturday morning cartoon villains. Real people have real motivations.

But what is his?

* * *

><p>The Risen swoop in on flying beasts. While they seem to be zombies at first, it's pretty apparent that they are <em>intelligent <em>zombies. For instance, the use of weapons. Also, the fact that they're riding mounts.

Our defensive line holds back the first wave. I draw my bronze shortsword. In my peripheral, I can see Cordelia kill a Risen by stabbing it through the heart. To my left, Lucina uses her time-displaced Falchion to slice the head off another.

Robin's strategy seems to be working as the second wave hits.

After the second wave is depleted, a particularly strong-looking Risen swoops in and attempts to dive bomb us. Virion takes aim and fires. The griffon is taken out, but the Risen leaps off and lands on both feet. He raises his axe.

Seeing an opportunity, Lon'qu dashes in and strikes a blow to the torso. As he comes around for a second blow, he dodges the axe and skewers the Risen. It's twitching and open for a killing blow.

I stab it. The twitching stops.

I guess I should say right now that that is the first thing I've ever killed. I've never gone hunting, tortured animals, or anything of the sort.

Well, unless you count insects. I've killed bugs.

So it's kind of a weird feeling knowing that there was something alive (no matter how alive you can consider the Risen), and your actions have led to the end of life for a creature.

There's something else within the feeling of killing. A primal urge, if I could give it a name. It shows itself for the first time as the Risen stops twitching.

The army's leaders are talking to Naga's Voice. I don't know what I'm supposed to do.

I just killed something. Is this jumping off the slippery slope?

It seems as if we're going to camp here for the night and then march on the capital.

* * *

><p>I don't know what to think or do in a situation like this. All the rest of the soldiers are fine with killing. They kill all the time. Just today, well over twenty Risen died at the hands of this army.<p>

So why can't I get over the fact that I killed one?

My cot isn't comfortable tonight. In fact, I hate laying down. Bad memories always catch up to me when I lay down. Add to that the events of today...

It's pretty clear that I'm not getting any sleep tonight.

I leave my tent. The night is warm. The camp, though, is silent. Everyone else is content to sleep. No...there's someone else awake. Someone down near the slowly dying campfire. From here, I can't make who it is out.

As I approach, it becomes clear that it's Lucina. She's carving away at what appears to be something that will soon be a wooden sword. I take a seat near her. "John, right?" she asks, glancing up from her work.

"Y-yeah," I say nervously. "You're Lucina, huh?"

"Yes, I am." The sound of whittling and the dying fire are the only sounds for about a minute.

"I have a question for you," I say. "What...no, how do you kill? Does it get easier?"

"Yes and no," she says, ceasing her whittling for a moment. "In terms of killing...Victory can be the only concern. I suppress all emotion, all compassion and sympathy. It does not matter if my enemy is my best friend, or even Naga herself."

I stare at my feet. I make a mental note: Sneakers weren't meant to endure this kind of wear. I need to find some serious boots.

"What was your first kill?" I ask.

She turns to look at the fire. "In the future, my future, the Fell Dragon, Grima, is reborn and unleashes Risen all over the land. I first killed when I was only thirteen years old." She resumes her whittling. "The Risen had breached Ylisstol. While my father had tried to prevent me from ever taking up his sword, it was the only thing I could do." She turns over the half-completed sword and inspects it before resuming whittling. The memory is probably painful for her, so I should stop pressing.

"Thanks for talking to me," I say.

"It is not a problem," she replies.

* * *

><p>The morning sun comes to banish the night. I wake up from a restless sleep. Breakfast is served before we begin to march on the capital. That cavalier, Stahl, eats probably three or four servings.<p>

The next step is to find better clothes. For one, these are getting dirty and my shirt is beginning to tear. In addition, I need something that can protect me during battle.

Robin gives me the go-ahead to search the supply convoy. I find it after a bit of searching. Some spare light armor and a tunic. I keep my denim jeans, but replace my sneakers with sturdy boots.

Now I'm ready for the road.

The capital is two days away, but the road isn't very interesting. We make a few stops here and there for supplies, but otherwise it's uneventful. No Risen, no attacks. Nothing. It's eerie.

* * *

><p>We reach the capital. It's going to be tough. Robin is silent, though. There's a look in his eyes that yells that he's got a plan. And I can only hope it's good.<p>

The battlefield is probably this area just outside of the palace. It's suitably epic. Forts on the left and right sides, but a nice and open area directly in front. I don't know if there is a better place for two armies to show their might. There's just enough freedom for a good tactician to show their worth. This is as much a battle between the armies as it is Robin's mental fight with the enemy's tactician. But the terrain and forts make it limiting enough that a mad charge won't be effective at all.

Alright. It looks like the enemy is showing themselves. Soldiers form up and prepare for battle outside the capital.

"This right here," Robin says, "is what I live for." He smiles and concentrates on the enemy formation. Our army is outnumbered for certain. And they've got the bonus of being the defenders rather than having to advance.

Still, though. Robin is determined, and the rest of the army shares his determination.

Chrom raises his sword and points it right at the palace. Everyone tenses.

A lone figure seems to tower above the rest of the enemy army, clad in red armor and wielding a massive weapon. There is no doubt. That is the Conqueror, Walhart.

Chrom notices this, too. "That's him, isn't it? Walhart. Brave of him to face us."

Say'ri turns a tiny bit to look at Chrom. "Brave? Aye. But more likely, he wants to relish this battle."

Robin grips the hilt of his own sword. "Then I'll give him something to relish. You give the word, Chrom." Chrom nods.

Before he can give the word, though, a booming voice yells. "You do your sister's legacy proud, young Prince! But humanity has already found its saviour!" The Conqueror motions to his army. "These are the finest men from all of the nations I conquered! With them, I will unite this world! But first, I have to wipe out a pack of insurgents!"

Robin nods to Chrom and says simply, "Their left flank is the weaker side. I trust you, Lucina, and Frederick can handle it?"

"Of course."

"Taking out Walhart is the top priority," Robin says before drawing his sword. "Go for him. The rest of us will handle the right flank and any reinforcements."

The battle began. Chrom goes to the left, with Lucina and Frederick not far behind. The remainder of the forces, which includes me, move right, baiting out the enemy. They take the bait.

There is something to be said about larger scale battles. It is that they are chaotic. Therefore, it is incredibly hard to follow.

What I can tell is that our formation is pretty solid. The people in front are heavily armored, wielding a mixture of lances, axes, and swords. Behind them are mages, casting spells to support the pointmen. And behind those are the healers. Some of the less-armored soldiers cover the backside of the formation.

It's effective. The battle won't last long at this rate.

From across the battlefield, I can see that Lucina, Frederick, and Chrom are almost through the enemy. They're about to engage with Walhart himself.

With one final charge, they make it to him.

There's a small dialogue and Chrom steps up to challenge the Conqueror. His blade gleams as he raises it. The two take ready stances. Lucina stands near Chrom, ready to attack as soon as Chrom is finished.

Then Chrom charges forward. He lands a hit on the Conqueror. Without a moment's hesitation, Lucina strikes with blinding speed. Walhart raises his axe and swings for Chrom.

From here, I can't see how bad the injury is, but given the size and force, it can't be good. However, Frederick is ready as well. The world seems to stand still as he makes a charge for Walhart.

The blow is devastating. Walhart's armor was useless there, I can tell. The man looks down at the wound, then makes the smart choice to retreat into the capital. His soldiers follow. The battle will take us inside, it seems.

The three that took down Walhart rejoin the rest of the army. Wounds are quickly healed by our healers.

And then there is the sound of hoofbeats from all around. The dynasts quickly reveal themselves, surrounding us. Their force must be larger than even the army we just defeated.

We're doomed.


	4. Chapter 4

The dynasts surround the perimeter of the field. Most are on horses, but I think there might be some on flying beasts. Nevertheless, I think there's no escape.

Some of our soldiers are more battered than I thought. Actually, there's a few major injuries, and Stahl's armor is rather clearly broken. And that mage, Henry, appears to be covered in blood.

...actually, it could be someone else's, given Henry's profession.

I have to admit, I thought that we'd beat the Conqueror here and that would be it. How did he survive? That blow should have been lethal. Any of us would fall to that blow...and yet be didn't. The Conqueror is truly frightening.

But on the matter at hand. The dynasts.

Not many of our soldiers ride horses or flying beasts. Stahl does, Frederick does, Cherche does, and Cordelia does. That's it. Even though horses are amazing in war, there's not many here who ride them.

Robin appears to be surveying the terrain. He's surely figured out something. His eyes dart from spot to spot, never lingering. Chrom, who stands by his tactician, slowly draws his sword. Frederick fidgets, moving slightly closer to the rest of the group. Lucina's eyes are as cold as ice. What emotion they have held is gone. Her own sword, Falchion, is drawn. It gleams in the midday sun.

I didn't notice it before, but Lucina's stance is a lot different from Chrom's. I guess I didn't have the eye for it, but her feet are planted differently, her sword is ready at a different angle...almost everything has been changed subtly or sometimes completely revamped.

The rest of the army stands at the ready.

"Hold, sir! Look!" Say'ri calls out.

Robin notices what she says and looks over the dynasts' forces once more. He yells back, "I see. The dynasts. They're under a different flag. And they're preparing for a siege."

"This...this boggles the mind," Say'ri says. "They betrayed us for the empire." She sheathes her sword and a smile begins to emerge on her lips.

"It seems as if their allegiance is clear enough now," Flavia says, resting her sword on her shoulder.

Say'ri looks over the force that has gathered. "Their lands were the lands under my brother's control. Have they come to answer the call to arms at long last?"

"It's taken a lot of hard work. Not to mention sacrifice," Flavia says. "Basilio, not to mention many of my soldiers, died to give us this chance. We must seize the day!"

Chrom nods. "Let us finish this war. It has gone on long enough!" Chrom holds Falchion above his head, and the sunlight gleams off the blade. It seems to glow. Almost like something from a movie poster.

Robin looks at the capital, then back to the dynasts. His gaze is cold.

We march on the capital. The dynasts follow. What remains of the Feroxi army also stands by us. Most were wiped out during the assault right before I was found, but about a hundred men remain. Add to that the almost uncountable men that make up the dynasts' armies, and the handful that our smaller army is made of.

The capital is massive and foreboding. It looms over us. While I look at it, a chill crawls up my spine slowly. An ever-present feeling of dread lurches up from my gut and makes itself known again.

Somehow I know something will go wrong in there.

I turn to Robin, who is walking forward with a confident stride. I step beside him and match my pace to his. He greets me with a quick, "John. Is there something you need?"

My question is sort of lingering within the back of my brain, but the words come out slowly. "I, uh, was just wondering. Why do you keep me with your army?"

"Well," Robin says, still walking, "you have no skills. You haven't demonstrated any skills in any of the arts, I haven't seen you volunteer to cook, and you are of no use on the battlefield. So why do I keep you around?" He looks at the ground. "You don't deserve to be abandoned in a field. You are a man with no nation and no past. I was the same. If you want to leave, we'll just leave you in the next town. But I want you to know that you can stay with us."

Huh. I can leave...

No, even if I left, there would be no way to get home. Even if it takes a hundred years, I will return. My friends...I will fight to return to you. That is my cause.

Robin interrupts my musing. "I would like you to take some weapons lessons, though."

The capital's doors fall down. The siege is finished. Well, there wasn't much time to erect defenses.

The capital's inside is a long hall, with stairs every so often to signal an ascent. From here, I can't quite make out who sits on the throne, but I have a good feeling who's sitting there.

The dynasts march in. They aren't on their horses, of course. Who ever heard of someone riding a horse inside a building? It's absurd.

The remainder of Walhart's army - those that weren't killed retreating into the capital - have already arranged themselves into formation.

Gotta say - pretty efficient army to have them retreat and not be a completely disorganized mess. Maybe most of the army were actually waiting in here, already organized and ready for us to overextend ourselves into their trap. Well, that's what the Mongols did when they conquered cities. They'd make the appearance of retreating over a hill, and as the enemy chased them, their soldiers who were lying in wait would counterattack in greater numbers. And they conquered a lot of the known world, so they're not idiots when it comes to tactics.

Thank you, history teacher, for ranting for nearly two hours on the Mongols.

The dynasts and Feroxi, however, crush the probably demoralized soldiers and work their way down the massive hall. Our force is quick in catching up and joining the fight.

The whole army reaches the first set of stairs. They march their way up, weapons still ready.

From what they've left behind, though...

Corpses litter the floor. Not just Valmese, too. The dynasts' have taken losses, along with the Feroxi army. The sight is horrifying. My stomach churns just looking at it.

Is this what "peace" is built on?

The army reaches a particularly fierce bunch of armored knights led by a man with large, hefty armor.

Behind them...

Excellus.

The man whose face has been tormenting me for days. He looks terrible. His robe is disheveled and lacks the sadistic grin he once wore. His face is now one of panic, one that says he is out of his element.

Frederick's hammer comes down on the last general in charge of the armored knights. Almost simultaneously, Cordelia stabs another one with a steel lance, and then rises up, switches weapons, and swoops down with a javelin in hand.

Excellus is dead. Impaled on a javelin. In death, he is still not handsome.

The army continues down the hall. I follow, through the corpse trail. My mind is turned to whatever god might be there. Please let these souls rest. Do not let them suffer in hell.

The noise of battle stops abruptly.

What is left of the dynasts' force, along with the remaining Feroxi and our army, have formed around the throne. On an elevated platform, Chrom stands across from Walhart.

"There is nothing left to say," Walhart yells. "What you call peace is nothing more than a dream - empty words surrounded by naive ideals. I will unite humanity! That is the only way peace can exist!"

"You're wrong. I will fight to the end for the peace that my sister believed in!"

"Then there is no hope, young prince. You can drown in the naive ideals you hold...and die without ever realizing your folly."

And then the two clash blades.

No - that is not the right word. It's something more than mere clashing of metal. It is a clashing of souls.

Chrom's sword dances around Walhart's axe, but there is no opening for attack. Walhart's axe, in turn, can not hit the young prince. The two who believe in different types of peace fight without words, letting their weapons decide who is right and who is wrong.

And then Walhart's axe finds its mark. Chrom's side erupts with blood. I think a rib cracked, too. It's a severe wound. If he gets hit again, that's game over. No continues in reality.

Chrom regains his balance and strikes for Walhart. The swing connects, and it manages to make a sizable dent in Walhart's armor.

Dents aren't fatal, though. Chrom needs to break the armor.

"Father! Catch!"

The yell comes from the left. Lucina throws a sword right for Chrom. Chrom grabs it, plants Falchion several inches into the ground, and holds an even larger sword.

"An Armorslayer?" Walhart says.

Ah. I see. That sword is effective against armor. Using it against Walhart is a pretty smart move.

Chrom is battered, but he can still swing a sword. Walhart is almost completely unharmed. But now Chrom has a better sword.

He swings. The swing has a lot behind it, and it's aimed right for the torso. Walhart doesn't manage to block it in time. His armor is cracked in several places.

Now Chrom is back on the offensive. With every swing, Walhart is pushed back, the armor slowly gaining more cracks. Walhart tries to block, but Chrom effortlessly disarms him. He pulls out a pair of broadswords and blocks the next strike.

Chrom attacks and attacks, moving from attack to follow-through and right back into attack. Above all else, though, he's yelling at the top of his lungs. It is nothing intelligible, just a vocalization of rage.

Walhart is silent, blocking every blow with his twin swords.

And then, with a guttural scream, Chrom swings from above his head. Walhart blocks with one of the two swords and it shatters in his hand.

"Impossible-!"

And Chrom swings right for the torso. The already broken armor gives way, and Walhart stumbles backwards. That last strike was fatal.

"Did you learn anything today, Prince?" Walhart says, his voice almost disinterested. "The way to peace...is not through words. Sometimes...the sword is the way to...true peace..."

With those words, Walhart falls to the ground. The Conqueror is dead.

It's over...


	5. Chapter 5

The sun has barely crested the horizon. I am outside, alone, taking in the glory of sunrise. Even if I can take in the brightness of the sun as it begins the day, it can not erase what I have already seen.

Last night I had another dream. A dream of three months ago...Valm. The war.

The same nightmares have plagued me for months. Excellus. Torture. The siege. Corpses and corpses and corpses. Every moment of every day, the images press into my perception. It is worst when I am alone.

This is the start of another bad day.

* * *

><p>The war in Valm ended with the Conqueror's death. The entire empire depended on his leadership, and without him the everything collapsed.<p>

Meanwhile the army - the "Shepards" - made their way back to Ylisstol. Most of the army, including Robin, live in the barracks.

Lucina, after Robin asked her to, began to train me in the sword. At the minimum, I can defend myself now. I'm actually a lot more fit than three months ago, too. I guess it's a side effect.

Today, though, there's another "war council". Even though we're finished with the war in Valm, there's still bandits roaming the land. Robin's in charge of checking the pegasus knight force's location and sending them to places all over the country, defending the villages and protecting the people.

And it's also the place where we're updated on the search for location of the final Gemstone of the Fire Emblem. The search hasn't turned up anything beyond rumors, and even those turn out to be nothing but wild goose chases.

No matter where the search turns, all of it seems to be a dead end.

The others do not give up hope, though. Even if the Gemstone is under long-forgotten ruins buried beneath the sand in an endless desert, they believe they can find it.

Just as I believe I will find my way home.

I won't give up my search. I can't.

* * *

><p>The day drags on.<p>

First, I practice swordwork for about two hours. Lucina isn't here today, instead she is with her mother, Sumia, in the city. I believe she mentioned that they were shopping. The practice is rather simple, and I begin to work up a sweat as the sun rises into the sky.

After this, I relax for a while. It's a nice day outside, and I lay in the sun for a bit. Sometimes, I can forget all the troubles and hardships and just relax. But when I get up, they always come right back.

Ah, well. Such is life. Running from your problems never works, so I mustn't run away.

But I can stay under this tree for a little while longer.

* * *

><p>The war council convenes just before sundown. The Shepards trickle in, arriving alone or with one or two others.<p>

All total, fourteen are present. As usual, Chrom, Robin, and Frederick are here before anyone else. Lucina and Sumia arrive just after I do, then Tiki and Say'ri. Gaius walks in, sucking on a lollipop, and Lon'qu walks in quickly with Cherche following right behind him. Cordelia walks in, and Stahl slips in behind her. Tharja walks in, and then Henry and a crow enter. Any others have duties to attend to or are away searching for the Gemstone, I presume.

"Today's meeting is of grave importance," Chrom says. "Yesterday, Frederick gave me word that the fifth Gemstone had been found."

The reaction is, quite plainly, pure excitement. Everyone's been waiting for this, it seems.

"However," Chrom says loudly, "the matter remains of how we will retrieve it."

"It's in a chest under several layers of security, huh," Gaius says. "I can handle that, no problem."

"Not exactly," Robin says. "It's being offered quite plainly to us. However, the holders of the Gemstone...are the Plegians. They want Chrom to go to Plegia Castle and they will formally present it to him."

"It's a trap," Cordelia says. "They aren't that dumb, are they?"

"I would have hoped not," Robin says. "But even so, they will not send a messenger with it. They want Chrom to come."

"And we need the Gemstone," Chrom says. "So we _have_ to walk into this trap."

"But we won't be unprepared," Robin says. "First of all, Chrom will have several heavily-armed members of the Shepards with him in the castle as he accepts the Gemstone. And, in case things go sour, another team will wait outside, fully armed and ready to move if we are captured."

"Excuse me," I say. "Would it be prudent to leave the Fire Emblem here, and not bring it to Plegia?"

"No," Chrom says. "This shield won't get taken so easily. Don't worry about it, John."

Robin and Lucina nod at me.

I'll trust them. They should know better than me, I guess.

"How many are you going to take, sir?" Frederick asks.

"I'm thinking five," Chrom says. "Frederick, you're coming with me. You too, Robin. Stahl, I could use your skills, too."

"What about me?" A giant, armored knight says.

"Sorry, Kellam," Robin says. "We want you on backup on this. Your armor is bulkier, and you're slower. If we want to get out fast, we have to have units who can move faster than you." Robin turns to Chrom. "I think Say'ri and Lon'qu should be in the castle team, too. And Tharja."

"Tharja?" Chrom asks. "You're certain?"

"In case we come across any soldiers without much defense against magic, I want to take advantage of that," Robin says. "A well-balanced team is vital to victory."

"The rest of you, along with the other Shepards who could not attend this meeting, will be on standby." Robin looks around the Shepards. "If we get captured, you will have to aid us in whatever way possible."

"When will we know to rescue you?" Lucina asks.

"If you think we've been gone too long, make the call," Robin says. "It shouldn't take long, especially if they try something. But enough talk. We need to prepare for travel."

* * *

><p>The deserts of Plegia are, as expected, hot. The sands stretch to the horizon. It seems like we are in a world without anything but sand.<p>

And then the castle slowly comes into view. It is built within what appears to be a massive skull of some sort, but I can not say what the skull is. Perhaps it was some massive creature from a time long past.

"That skull..." Lucina says. "I saw it once before, when Emmeryn died. And even then it reminded me...of Grima."

"The fell dragon?" Chrom asks.

"Indeed," Lucina says. "I was raised in a crumbling world, one whose destruction was caused by a massive cataclysm preceded by a long war. And at the end, Grima was the cause of all that evil and destruction in the world."

"It must have been horrifying," Robin says.

"Horrifying does not begin to describe it." Lucina's gaze falls thousands of yards, and I suspect several years away. "The things we did, just to stay alive...I see them, the faces of the dead, every night. Not just the ones I saw die, but the ones I killed, too."

"We'll stop him, Lucina. I promise," Chrom said. "The future can be changed. You've proven it already. And with all of us together, we can turn the course of history."

Lucina just continued staring into the distance.

* * *

><p>We set up camp a fair bit away from the castle. Robin and Chrom's group prepare themselves. "Don't worry about us," Robin says. "I've accounted for all possibilities."<p>

The group then leaves, the five of them marching into the distance.

I watch them leave, with Lucina standing right next to me.

"About what you said..." I begin. "What happened in your timeline?"

Lucina looks to the ground. "When I was a small child, my father and mother went to war. I was left at the capital with my sister." She looked back up at the castle in the distance. "By that time, Valm was nothing but a memory. My parents were waging war with Plegia."

"So the present isn't so different?"

"No. Fate has not changed...yet." Lucina sighs. "When my mother fell at the Border Sands, my father was supposedly thrown into grief. The army marched on the Dragon's Table not long after."

"What happened there?"

"My father died at the hand of one of his most trusted allies." Lucina says, as she looks right at me. "Due to this, Ylisse was without an exalt. Because the next heir was not yet of age, there was a struggle over the throne."

"A man named Treize took power in Ylisstol, but Robin marched the army back to the capital and seiged the city until control of Ylisse was given to him."

I mutter, "So then what?"

"The war was ended within hours of Robin taking power."

"Huh?!"

"Robin was, by that point, completely under the influence of a man named Validar, who appeared to be his father. While it seemed as if the two nations were separate, they were all controlled by one man." Lucina's hand closed into a fist as she recalled this. "Meanwhile, seeing that I could be a threat as one of the only people to be able to use the Falchion, I was trapped within the castle."

"So when did Grima return?"

"Several years later, Robin was still ruler of Ylisse. I had grown to the age of twelve when he departed the castle on a 'diplomatic mission' to Plegia. But he was really making for the Dragon's Table to...aid in Grima's summoning."

"And then..."

"Ylisse fell. Everywhere did. Whole nations were consumed by that monster. The horrors of those long years can not be understated. I made it my life's goal to stop Grima, no matter what cost."

"And now you're here."

"Yes. This world is under threat from the fell dragon, and I will not allow that to happen. The people here should live long, happy lives. They do not deserve the same fate as my world."

* * *

><p>The tension is thick in the desert air as the sun begins to set. We're almost ready to head for the castle to see what happened when figures appear in the distance.<p>

Lucina signals the others, and everyone prepares for battle. We form up and draw our weapons. As they approach, though, I notice they're not Plegians.

It's Chrom's group, although they seem to have witnessed some battle. Chrom's armor is cracked and stained with blood, and he is helping along an injured Robin with help from a pegasusless Cordelia. Frederick's armor is broken, and his horse seems to have seen a similar fate. Stahl rides alongside him, rather clearly bruised and cut up. Lon'qu and Say'ri both appear to be injured as well, but not to the extent of the others.

Our healers are quick to arrive and begin treating the wounds, but Robin and Chrom's injuries are severe. They're moved to the medical tent and laid on cots.

We all wait anxiously outside the tent. The healers don't allow us to crowd inside, so this is the closest we can be.

After a while, Robin steps out. He's heavily bandaged and bruised. His trademark longcoat is gone, too. He simply says, "I underestimated them," then sits down on the ground, flinching from the pain.

"What happened?" Lucina asks. "All of you were heavily injured, and Tharja is missing."

"The invitation was a trap, as we suspected," Robin said. "But they...they were far more prepared for our escape than I had anticipated. Validar...has the Emblem now. He controlled my mind...and made me give it to him." His face contorted with rage and he stood up and yelled to the sky. "Give it back! That was ours, damn it!" He flinched from his wounds, but continued yelling through the pain. "It doesn't matter where you go, Validar! I'll find you! I will chase you to the ends of the world if I have to! And I will have my revenge!"

Lucina put a hand on his shoulder. "Robin. Calm down. Tell us what happened."

Robin sighed. "Are you sure you want to hear this?"

Lucina and I both nodded.

He sat down and began to tell us what happened in the castle.


	6. Chapter 6

I am Robin. I am a tactician.

The duty of a tactician is to always be aware of all factors in battle. Everything from size of armies all the way down to how the wind blows is important.

This is what I failed to do completely when we entered Plegia Castle.

We entered confidently. Chrom led the group, and Frederick and I followed, with the rest of the group behind us. We were all armed with weapons, and even I carried a Levin Sword and Arcfire tome.

In addition, I was making note of the layout of the castle. If they were to attempt an attack, which was rather clear given the soldiers hiding in the shadows, I had already plotted out an escape route.

However, my attention failed to be turned inward to our group. I failed to notice that Tharja had left the group. I don't know when or why. All I know is that in those corridors, Tharja disappeared.

This was the first of many failures.

The central chamber they brought us to was lavishly decorated.

Two came to give us the Gemstone: Validar, the man who claims to be my father, and Aversa, a woman who appeared to be completely loyal to him.

"Well met, milord," Aversa said. She was apparently unarmed, but I doubted outward appearances. Naturally, I had a knife ready, hidden in my sleeve. I drew it discretely as she walked toward Chrom, but she stopped before the two were close.

"Prince Chrom! Welcome!" Validar said. I could tell that he held a tome of some sort, but he didn't show it.

Chrom's response was quick. "I was told you had something to give me."

Of course, Validar stalled. "My, my! No time for courtesy? Such impatience. Do you really want it that badly? This concerns me and my nation. The Fire Emblem and the Gemstones...they are treacherous artifacts. Plegia and the Grimleal, sadly, know this fact all too well..."

From this, two things happened.

Aversa took a medium step forward. This put her in effective range of a high-powered blast of Arcfire.

Second, Chrom spoke. "You speak ill of when the first exalt used them on the fell dragon, sealing him away?"

Validar grimaced. "Indeed. So it would seem you do not know the destruction your precious exalt caused." He held a hand out. "Give me the Fire Emblem."

"What?!"

"Don't make me destroy you, young prince. Hand over the Emblem and you will be spared." Validar smirked.

"This is a declaration of war!" Cordelia shouted.

"This is the last time I ask. The Emblem. Give it to me. Now!"

Chrom looked right at Validar and merely said, "No." The first step of the plan was enacted at this moment. First, I would have to prevent Validar from casting. The easiest way was a distraction. Something that he could not ignore.

"Guards! Seize them!" Validar yelled as I pulled my tome out from my cloak.

I cast Arcfire on Aversa, lighting her on fire.

Next, our party ran.

Me and Chrom took point. He would attack with me supporting, and I would navigate us out of the maze of hallways and corridors.

Soldiers advanced from all sides. In front, behind, and to the left and right. They appeared from doors and staircases.

Then the first casualty of the battle happened.

Lon'qu had fallen behind, engaged with a pair of soldiers. I directed Cordelia to rescue him and come back carrying him.

I did not expect an archer to rush up the staircase and immediately target her pegasus. An arrow landed in her pegasus's left wing. A second hit the pegasus's torso. Cordelia fell off, and the pegasus tumbled to the floor.

Lon'qu disarmed one of his attackers and killed the second. Frederick cleared a path using a javelin, and the two quickly rejoined our group.

But the pegasus was lost. I do not know its final fate.

After several minutes of hard battle, the exit was in sight. We all had taken some injuries, and I was bleeding from a medium sized gash.

Then Validar teleported in. Immediately, Chrom was hit with a burst of magic and fell onto the ground. "You can fight it, but you can't escape fate. Haven't you already learned that, or will another lesson be necessary?"

"Chrom!" Cordelia yelled.

"You can give me the Fire Emblem, or I will take it by force." Validar extended his hand once more.

Getting up, Chrom said, "Just try me."

"Oh, but that won't be necessary. **Robin. Bring me the Fire Emblem.**"

I don't know exactly what happened.

No, it is clear what happened.

I took the Fire Emblem.

And I gave it to Validar.

And as my senses returned to their normal state, I felt the blood seeping out of my body. My wounds had gotten worse, and I could barely stand. Chrom rushed and grabbed me before I crumpled over, and we returned with him supporting me the entire time.

That's the whole story.

Maybe we were fools in bringing the Fire Emblem. But there is still time to prevent Grima's resurrection. We just need to get the Fire Emblem back.


	7. Chapter 7

"That's the story," Robin says. "Maybe we were fools in bringing the Fire Emblem. But there is still time to prevent Grima's resurrection. We just need to get the Fire Emblem back."

"How long until they summon him?" I ask. "And where?"

"I can only think of one place," Robin says. "The Dragon's Table."

"Dragon's Table?" I ask.

"Three years ago, during the war with Plegia, I did a lot of research to indicate where we could strike to cripple Plegian morale," Robin said. "One of the key locations was the Grimleal's massive religious site at the Dragon's Table. It's a massive altar, and I think Grima could be summoned there."

Lucina's face was set in a hard frown, but Robin continued. "It's not too far from here. We could reach it within a day's time. But..."

Chrom stepped out of the medical tent. His wounds looked far less severe than Robin's, but he was still in pain as he walked over to us.

Robin looked at him. "Chrom...what I did back there. It was unforgivable."

"Enough of that, Robin. We're going to find him and stop his wicked plans." Chrom's face was determined, but still kind.

"Right. He'll pay for this." Robin's fist smacked into his hand.

"The Lucina of this time won't have to endure the hardships that I did," Lucina said. "And for that, I am glad."

Robin nodded. "It's time. Once the army is prepared, we make for the Dragon's Table!"

* * *

><p>The sun is now low in the sky. I'm been sitting in my tent, lying down and endlessly flipping a Ylissean coin. Heads. Heads. Tails. Heads. Over and over. When you have to kill time, doing something repetitive with your hands is great. I knew a guy who carried change in his pockets at all times, and whenever he was bored he'd count the change.<p>

We're not making for the Dragon's Table tonight. Injuries still have to heal, and we move faster in daylight anyway. Even though Robin desperately wanted to go right now, Chrom and Lucina persuaded him otherwise. Robin slinked away to think or something like that.

I wonder what my friends are up to. Are they okay? Are they worried?

Or will this be like some sort of fantasy story, where I go back to my world and it's still the same day as when I left? Ha. What book was that, again? I can't remember. I know I read it, but I just can't remember it. There was something about a witch and some foolishness about beavers. But that's all I can remember.

I wish I knew what's going on back home. It's been three months. Three long months spent working to become a half-decent swordsman. What would my friends think of me now?

It's getting hard to remember their faces.

I need something. A sign. Just to know that they're alive out there. That I can make it back.

As I contemplate, Lucina steps into my tent. I actually don't notice her until she stands above my bed. "John. I need to tell you something." Her voice is uncertain.

I sit up and look her in the eye. "What is it?"

"...Tonight, I'm going to kill Robin."

Wait, what?

"You're going to kill Robin?" I ask. "Why?"

"In my future...Robin killed my father," she says. "And I won't let the same thing happen again. It is the only way to turn the course of history."

"Is killing him the only way?" I ask her after a long pause.

"Yes," she replies. "Robin will kill Chrom if we do nothing. John. I came here to ask your help in this."

"Why not anyone else?! Why not Lon'qu, or Cordelia, or Henry?"

"They wouldn't think of killing him," she says. "No, they hold far too much love in their heart for him. John. The human race is worth more than one life. You and I, we both know this." She extends her hand to help me up. "Help me. This is the only way we can survive the gathering storm."

Is this morally right, to kill a man to save humanity? I don't know. What is the worth of a person's life? That can't be just expressed in words so easily. A life is an abstraction, formed of memory and perception. But is it worth it to kill a brilliant mind to allow humanity to live?

...Yes.

I think she might be right.

If Robin dies tonight, that's one life out of thousands, maybe even millions. If he kills Chrom and resurrects Grima, then those millions are doomed. It's one life versus thousands. That's simple math. A thousand is greater than one single life.

"I'll help you."

* * *

><p>The sun is almost touching the horizon. We're in a remarkably grassy field about ten minutes' walk from camp. Robin is out here, alone, thinking. A rather peaceful final look at the world, I would say. There are far worse places to die. Here, one can see the twilight's last light give way to the dark oppressiveness of night.<p>

On the business at hand, though. We are on a mission. Lucina and I are both armed. Her with Falchion, me with a plain steel sword. In addition, we're in armor, just in case he resists. Hopefully, he accepts our judgment.

We walk up behind him. He's facing to the west, towards the setting sun.

"Beg pardon, Robin," Lucina says. The man turns around from his thoughts and looks at the two of us. "Might I have a word?"

He stands up and dusts off his pant legs. "Ah, Lucina. What is it?"

"It's about my father," she says firmly. "I have memories of him. From when I was a child." She pauses. "Before he...died."

"Ah," Robin says. "I see. Continue."

She exhales and continues. "He was courageous, and kind. Everybody spoke fondly of him. And they say he was brave until the very end." Her voice shakes slightly. "As I grew up, I always yearned to know him better. And now that I do...I can see that the world will be deprived of a great man." She pauses and touches the hilt of her still-sheathed sword. "And I won't let that happen."

"Well, of course," Robin says with a chuckle. "You love him."

"Robin, I...forgive me." Her voice shakes again, almost to the point of cracking.

She draws her sword, and I follow suit.

"Lucina?! And you, John?!" Robin is clearly perplexed. "What's this all about?"

"Stay right there, Robin," Lucina says. "I have no choice. I must kill you."

"This is madness!" Robin says. "Why?!"

"In my future...you become my father's murderer." Lucina's voice gains its firmness again.

"That's insane!" Robin yells. "I would never-"

"I was not certain until now," Lucina says, interrupting him. "All I knew was that he had been killed by his closest friend. And I travelled here to discover his murderer's identity and prevent his death from ever occurring."

Robin's eyes flick between the two of us. I don't think he had a plan for this.

"Three long years have passed since my arrival," Lucina says. "I've been waiting a long time to find out who was the one who killed my father. And today's events make it clear to me. You are at the mercy of Validar. And if he takes hold as Chrom turns his back to you...then it is all over."

"Lucina, John. Wait just a minute."

She pays him no heed as she continues. "If Chrom is right - if we can change fate - then there is only one sacrifice needed to prevent the dark future ahead." She tightens her grip on her sword. "I am sorry, Robin." She shifts her stance so she can strike quickly. "I know this is murder..."

"Lucina, you don't have to..." Robin tries to say.

"Don't make it harder!" Lucina yells. "Don't resist, and I will make your death swift and painless." Her voice shakes once more. "Just...let this be done..."

Time almost stands still.

I shift my footing ever so slightly to match Lucina's stance.

"No." Robin says finally. "I won't let you simply kill me."

"I understand," Lucina says. "Then you will meet your end in battle, Robin." There is a moment of silence before the duel erupts.

Lucina strikes first with a swing for the torso. Robin dodges backwards and draws his Levin Sword from his longcoat. Did I just not notice that hidden there?

It doesn't matter. I rush in and swing my sword to his left leg. He blocks. I dodge backwards to evade a swipe from his jagged sword. Lucina rushes in and swings for the neck, but the attack is swiftly dodged.

Robin stands a couple feet away from us. He's gasping and in clear pain, even though he didn't get hit, so he must have reopened a wound. He looks like he's about to fall to his knees.

"Enough!" Chrom yells. "Everyone, lower your swords!"

"Chrom, you don't-" I say.

"Lower your swords!" His voice is very loud and commanding. I almost obey, but I see that Lucina still holds her blade.

"But-" Lucina says.

"Lucina! Lower your sword!" Chrom yells.

Lucina doesn't. "You don't understand! This is the only way that we can change fate and turn the course of history!"

"No!" Chrom's voice has lowered, but he is still very loud. "Our bonds, the ties that connect and strengthen us, those are what can change fate! Death will create nothing!"

"If there is something I can do to prevent the horrors I endured, then I will do anything. Nothing will stand in my way," Lucina says. "If you allow him to live, then your fate is already sealed."

"I trust Robin, Lucina. Nothing can shake my faith in him." Chrom says. "Lower your sword."

"...Fine," Lucina says, sheathing Falchion. "Pray that you are right, Chrom." She turns around and leaves. I silently follow, feeling more an observer than a player in these events.

Well, can't say today was uneventful.

I need a vacation, damn it.


	8. Chapter 8

The night passes with a dreamless sleep, and I wake just before dawn, as is the new usual for me.

But as I emerge from my tent, I feel that today, something is different. The air weighs heavier than usual, and the clouds are tumultuous. A storm is brewing on the horizon, too. And there's a tinge of sulfur in the air. Barely noticeable. If I hadn't been without the smell so long, I wouldn't even detect it.

Today feels different. I can't tell exactly what it is.

Cordelia is the next to wake. I can see just from the way she walks that her sleep last night was restless and uncomfortable. Her hair is disheveled, and her expression gloomy. Her eyes are empty of her usual brightness. At first, I wonder why. And then, to my not fully awake mind, it clicks.

Her pegasus died yesterday.

I can't begin to imagine what she must be feeling right now. The worst loss I've had was my dog, when I was ten. I cried for hours, and that was with me knowing for weeks that she would die. But to have something like that, so suddenly and so brutally happen, it is beyond my understanding.

I don't know what I should do at a time like this. I think I'm just going to leave her alone.

And then, one by one, the entire camp gets up. We all pack up the camp after the morning meal, and we set off for the Dragon's Table. The road is long and hard, but we move forward.

But the smell of sulfur doesn't go away. It's familiar, but not in a good way. I could have lived without the smell.

* * *

><p>As we head to the Table, we pass a few groups of cloaked travellers. Then the groups become a steady stream of cloaked travellers. The stream of people gets wider and becomes a river; the river becomes an ocean of people walking toward the Dragon's Table in the distance.<p>

"Who are these guys?" I ask Lucina, who has worn a drab brown cloak over her normal outfit.

"Their clothing points to only one thing. They are all members of the Grimleal," she replies with an edge behind her words. "This is an ill omen."

"The Grimleal...Grima worshipers?" I ask.

"Indeed. I did not encounter many during my youth, but they seemed far more plentiful when I arrived in this time." She turns to Robin. "Do you think they're here to block our path to the Dragon's Table, Robin?"

Robin looks out over the crowd and squints at the Table. "No. I get the feeling something is compelling them toward the table. Look at the way they walk. All of them move in the same way."

"You're right," Chrom says. "They're not in control of themselves."

"Then we don't kill any, right?" Robin asks Chrom.

"Right. They're innocent," Chrom declares.

There isn't much time left, so we start to push and shove our way past the crowd. They barely notice, and even when they get knocked down, they just get right back up and continue their march.

They remind me of zombies. And with that comes snatches of memories, of nights spent as a teen watching horror movies with my sister.

After at least an hour of moving and shoving , the zombie-like crowd thins out and the Dragon's Table comes into sight before us. It's a huge spire in the middle of the desert, and the clouds of the gathering storm circle the precipice. A large set of stairs leads from the ruins we stand in to the Dragon's Table itself.

However, upon those steps stands a woman clad in dark, revealing clothing. However, the clothing also reveals several burn scars, including a nasty one on her face.

In my peripheral vision, Robin's face darkens with anger and he lets out a small snarl and mutters, "Aversa..."

Aversa. He'd mentioned this name during the escape from Plegia Castle. I believe he said that she was lit on fire to distract Validar. That explains the burn scars.

She glares right back at him. The two lock eyes in what appears to be the most hateful staring contest I have ever seen.

...Aversa blinked first, so Robin won.

"Return the Fire Emblem to us, and we can end this!" Chrom shouts.

Aversa chuckles before replying, "You would end this? Milord, we both know the ending to this tale."

Chrom uses his own glare at Aversa. "To hell with your ending. We'll write our own!"

Aversa laughs loudly. "Now you believe you can change fate? And here I thought your sister had all the delusions of grandeur!" She smirks.

"That's where you're wrong. We've already changed the future," Chrom retorts.

"Oh?" Aversa asks in a condescending tone. "Do you speak of your victory over sad little Gangrel? Or perhaps Walhart's defeat?" Her smirk grows wider with every word. "Those were meant to happen. They were...preordained. Every move of every piece on this board has been foretold. In fact, I really would have to thank you for disposing of Gangrel."

"Thank us?!" Robin says. "He was your king!"

"Ah, but he was so easily manipulated. Validar and I used him to start a war against Ylisse. With Plegia's defeat, the people were drawn to Grima. And now he will consume their very life force - anger, hatred, and wrath: the rancor that gives Grima his power."

Chrom's face is white. "You don't mean to say..."

"You naive little man." Aversa's hand is raised to gesture to the Table behind her. "It is called the Dragon's Table, and it is where Grima will feed upon those who offer themselves unto him. It is the tradition of the Grimleal, and today the Table has been set with the souls of all of Plegia!"

Chrom's pale face regain a bit of color. "I won't allow that to happen! I will destroy Grima!"

"Oh, that reminds me." Aversa's face loses the smirk for a second, but regains it within a moment. "That sounded a lot like another worthless piece of trash who wished for the destruction of Grima, just as you do. Walhart's quick removal from Valm was a nice thing for you to do for us!"

At that moment, Robin's anger reaches its peak and he steps forward. "You...You played us like a damn fiddle!" Robin yells. "Get out of the way, now!"

"Oh, I'm afraid I can't let you do that. Master Validar must not be disturbed." Aversa says, with a smirk on her face. "But fear not. I've brought the Deadlords. Once, they were 12 of the finest generals in Plegian history. And now, they are 12 of the finest soldiers in the Plegian army."

"The Deadlords..." Robin mutters. "I've read the legends. The twelve who, in life and death, served their master without failure..."

"Let's see how you fare against them." Aversa walks halfway up the steps to what appears to be a landing and snaps her fingers. The sound echoes over the ruins and the wind chooses that moment to pick up dramatically.

From the ground rise twelve figures, each wielding a weapon that looks incredibly deadly.

Robin turns around and looks right at Tiki, who is standing near the back of the army. He gives her a thumbs up.

Tiki slightly nods. The corners of her mouth turn up very subtly into a smile. She walks all the way to the front of the formation and raises a stone up to the sky. A massive white cocoon completely wraps around her. Within a scant two seconds, it shatters. And then Tiki was a dragon.

Aversa's smirk is gone.

The rest of the army, including me, follows Tiki into battle. Several massive blasts of energy hit one of the Deadlords, and Chrom charges in and, with a pair of massive, smashing attacks, kills the Deadlord. Tiki circles around and launches another volley at one of the other Deadlords. Cordelia, on her feet and holding her customary lance, impales the former general.

And so it goes. Every Deadlord is taken out, one by one. I even manage to land a killing blow on one.

When the final Deadlord falls, Aversa panics and gets on her steed, a dark-colored pegasus. However, Chrom tosses a book to Henry - a grey-colored tome. A massive gust of wind slams into her, causing the pegasus to buck her off and fly away.

Aversa stands alone, carrying a dark tome. Robin and Cordelia jog up the steps to the landing where Aversa waits. Aversa fires off a bolt of dark magic at the two and they dive to the side to dodge.

Robin launches into an offensive, slicing his steel sword at Aversa. She manages to dodge every swipe until the last, and a thin line of blood crosses her abdomen.

Behind her, Cordelia strikes with a silver lance. Aversa senses it, and almost dodges - and a trail of blood trickles down her face and into her left eye. While she's off balance, Robin sees fit to punch her right in the face, sending her toppling over onto the stone landing.

And then all the air stands still for a second before a wave of energy rushes out from the Dragon's Table.

Aversa stands up. Blood runs down her face, but her mouth forms into a wide smirk. "You play rough, but the ritual has already begun. You're too late to prevent its completion! And so, this is where I make my exit!" A circle of glowing light forms around her feet.

Robin yells, "Like hell I'd let you, bitch!" Just as her warp begins, Robin is there with a tempered silver sword.

Aversa laughs as the warp circle lights up. Robin swings.

Her lower half is warped away. The upper half is left behind and falls to the ground with a thud.

Blood-splattered Robin sheathes his sword with a grimace set on his face.

A moment passes in shock.

Chrom is the first to speak. "Come on! Into the Dragon's Table!" With that, we race up the steps and into the giant spire.

This is it. The final battle.

* * *

><p><em>Validar smirked. <em>

_The only thing left was the vessel. And that would walk in very, very soon._

_He heard the telltale sound of a warp behind him. Aversa, probably, fresh from testing the boy's band of warriors. _

_"Aversa. The time has come at last. After years of waiting, Grima shall be reborn into this world." He waited a moment for her response. The moment stretched on too long, and he turned around to see what had happened to make her so quiet._

_Aversa wasn't wholly there, so to speak._

_In short, her severed legs stood before him. They then flopped onto the floor unceremoniously._

_"What in the name of-"_


	9. Chapter 9

The sun lowers past the horizon over the vast desert. The night begins, and a soft chill settles over the world as we walk up the massive steps from the ruins up to he Dragon's Table.

We march in a wide formation. The ones not on mounts lead with the cavalry following right behind. In the back are non-combatants.

This time, I'm at the front.

Robin and Chrom step forward with unsheathed swords. They march up the final steps to the Dragon's Table's wide entrance. Without speaking, they lead us past the threshold.

The inside of the Dragon's Table is just as grand and foreboding as the outside. Massive pillars hold the structure up. The air here smells greatly of sulfur, and a weird energy pulses through the room.

Robin slightly turns his head to face Chrom. "Chrom, before we begin, I have a favor to ask."

Chrom turns his head to face Robin and says, "I'm not leaving you behind, no matter what you say."

Robin shakes his head slightly. "No. I have to face Validar. And the only way I can fight it is at your side." He turns

"And the favor?" Chrom asks.

"If Validar somehow gains control of me, I want you to strike me down." Robin is dead set on this, and his voice shows it.

"What?! No, I can't!" Chrom half-yells, obviously startled. "You can't ask that of me!"

"Of course I'm going to fight it." Robin pulls out a tome from his armored longcoat. "But you have a duty to the people under you. Protect them, Chrom. That is your duty."

Chrom's face darkens for a moment. Then, with a resolute nod, he mutters, "You're right. It burns my tongue to say it. But you need to fight it. No matter what it takes."

"I will try." Robin mutters.

At the other side of the hall, Validar stands with a tome in hand. Seeing this, Robin stops the army.

"We take him together," Chrom mutters. In response, Robin nods slightly. Then they charge forward. Validar smirks as they barrel toward him. Lucina follows as fast as she can, and I'm right behind her.

Robin and Chrom are just about reach Validar. Lucina pushes herself harder, and I do the same.

As soon as Robin and Chrom cross an invisible line, a massive blue energy field shoots out right in front of us. Lucina and I both stop just in time.

Robin strafes right with blasts of magic, while Chrom goes in head on. Validar leaps back.

"Validar!" Chrom shouts. "Cease this!"

"Prince, did you come to watch the culmination of your failure?" Validar's face lights up in a decidedly sinister way. "What a terrible night for the so-called "divine dragon". Naga gets to watch as we return Grima into the world!"

I would imagine that Chrom looks really angry now. "What you're doing is madness! It will only bring destruction!"

Validar scoffs. "Did the future-girl say that? Are you blindly trusting her? Enough talk. The Awakening rite is ready."

Chrom's voice grows stone cold. "Awakening...?"

"You surely know of it, Prince." Validar pulls out the Fire Emblem. "But what they didn't teach you is that Awakening isn't just for Naga. With it, I will rouse Grima! But only one thing remains. The fell dragon needs a mortal vessel. And I am not worthy enough for the fell dragon."

Chrom's voice grows bold. "Then this is over. You can't summon Grima."

"I would have to thank you, Prince. A vessel has just been delivered." Validar's smile widens as the realization sinks in.

Robin speaks. "Oh god. Me. It's me."

Validar merely responds with, "Good job deducing it. In fact, this moment has been long awaited by the Grimleal. For generations we wanted to create the perfect vessel. Even I could not become that vessel...but then your mother arrived. From where, I do not know." Validar closed his fist. "But we created you. A perfect vessel."

"I'll never-" Robin starts.

"It is your destiny. His soul has slumbered within you for too long. You are the fell dragon, " Validar said.

"No...no." Robin muttered. "That's not true. That's impossible!"

"If you only knew the power that you held, Robin." Validar extends his hand to Robin. "Come with me and I will complete the ceremony. You will have power beyond that of even Naga - even the power to bring the dead back to life."

Robin shakes a tiny bit but remains silent.

Validar's eyes narrow. "You can undo the mistakes you've done. All your fallen comrades, given a second chance to live. It is simple, Robin."

Robin raises his sword. "Enough of these mindgames. Have at you!"

"It does not matter. Your destiny is set," Validar says, lifting his tome. Robin and Chrom rush into battle together.

The sound of axes scraping on the ground makes me turn around.

Risen. A lot of them, too.

Lucina discards her brown cloak and rushes in with Falchion in her hands. I jump into the fray after her.

Within seconds, the chaos of battle consumes me. The Dragon's Table blurs out of focus and I concentrate on the Risen. At least a dozen stand between us and the entrance of the Table.

I stab and slice at every Risen in range. Lucina stands at my back, covering my blind spot. We mow through Risen with swords blurring.

After at least a minute, the battle ceases. The Risen stop and collapse, and the scene behind the semi-transparent blue wall draw all of our eyes.

Validar falls to the ground.

"Is that it? Did we get him?" I mutter, almost inaudibly.

No. He rises slightly and raises his hand. For a second, I watch a massive energy ball fly towards Chrom. I can't do a thing to stop this.

Robin rushes forward and shoves Chrom out of the way, taking the brunt of the blast.

Chrom stumbles up from the ground and hurries over to Robin's slumped over form. He grabs Robin and starts to help him up, saying something to Robin. Robin, supported by Chrom, gets on his feet.

And then lightning coalesces in his right hand.

A lance of electricity impales Chrom. Chrom stumbles backwards, falling to the ground.

"No!" Lucina screams. "Damn it! Damn you!" With Falchion held firmly in both hands, she runs right into the blue wall. Bouncing off, she recovers immediately and swings her sword at the wall with all her might. "I'll kill you, damn it!"

No reaction. Another swing. Over and over again.

Screaming bloody murder, Lucina pounds the wall again and again until she wears herself down onto the ground.

Behind said wall, Robin stands above Chrom's body. Near him, Validar pushes himself up to his feet with a decidedly evil smile plastered on his face.

"Don't you see? Your destiny was sealed far before today. Even the Prince's death was preordained, son." Validar holds up the Fire Emblem. "And now to complete the ceremony."

And then, footsteps echo through the hall.

"Don't put too much faith in this destiny hogwash." The gruff voice is completely unfamiliar to my ears. The speaker is a man of at least thirty, bald and wearing an eyepatch along with some fearsome looking armor.

Lucina raises her head at the sound of this voice.. "Khan!? Khan Basilio...alive?"

The man known as Basilio laughs and raises an axe. "I was never killed, thanks to your warning. I played opossum back in Valm to escape Walhart, and since then I've been in hiding."

Validar frowns. "It does not matter, Khan. The only thing that matters is your death - I will just kill you now!"

Basilio frowns. "You're no Walhart. Not as strong, or even as clever. At least he would have realized that he'd been tricked!"

"Tricked?" I mutter.

"What?!" Validar shouts.

Basilio smirks. "Robin figured that all this would happen. No, he foretold it. When they went to retrieve the fifth Gemstone, they never brought the Fire Emblem. Only a decoy."

I'm vindicated. They weren't nearly as stupid as I thought.

"A worthy bluff, mongrel." Validar's smirk reasserts itself on his face. "But I've had spies watching all of their movements for the last year! And Robin never touched the Fire Emblem!"

"Were you watching a dead man when he stole the Fire Emblem and replaced it with a fake?" Basilio's words cause the smirk to wither away and fall off, leaving an expression of anger.

"It can't be...but Chrom is still dead! Grima will - huh?!"

And then, Chrom rises from the dead. As Validar watches, Chrom removes the spear of electricity and crushes it in his hand.

From the right, a sword slices at Validar. Robin's silver slices through the air and scrapes Validar's side, leaving a tear in his mage robes. "Let's end this," Robin yells.

"By all means, let's!" Chrom brandishes Falchion. Within the moment, he charges forward. Validar barely manages to evade the first blow. The second, he draws blood. Chrom pauses as Lucina charges in and delivers her own set of blows.

Robin pulls out a familiar yellow tome. I immediately recognize it with dread in my bones. With a cry of, "Arcthunder!" Robin's lightning crashes into Validar. The pain must be terrible.

I know from experience.

Validar slumps over. Then he collapses flat on the ground. "This...was not...it's all wrong..." he gasps.

Robin looks at the corpse for a long second and conclusively states, "It's over."

A golden warp circle coalesces on the ground next to Validar.

"Not yet, Robin." A very, very familiar voice echoes through the room. "It's not over yet."

A hooded figure in a longcoat appears in the center on the warp circle. The longcoat is actually identical to the one that Robin wears. And the two have the same build, too. The man slowly takes off his hood and reveals that his face is identical to Robin, too.

Okay, this is getting a bit weird.

In other words: what the hell is going on?!

"So, Robin. You've changed the flow of destiny." The other Robin smirks. "But the destination remains the same."

"What the hell is going on?!" I yell. "I don't understand any of this!"

The other Robin glances to me in complete confusion, but regains his composure. "Well, boy, it's simple. I am Robin. And yet I am not him. I am the Robin that murdered Chrom. I am the Robin that became Grima. And when your "Marth" came back, I tagged along."

Lucina's eyes grow wide in horror.

"Ah, Lucina." The other Robin smiles. "You have caused me so much trouble. Destroyed any chance of this Robin accepting his fate. And almost completely terminated any chance of this happening. I had to make sure that the future came to pass as it had. Oh, it was hard. You were determined." He folds his arms. "You absolutely would not stop, ever, until I was gone. If you could, I bet you would wade through a thousand corpses to rip my heart out. Isn't that right?"

Lucina tightens her hold on Falchion.

"Well, Robin. Seems you won't abandon your worthless pack of mongrels." The other Robin cracks his knuckles. "I think I'll claim the sacrifice here in your stead."

"What?!" Lucina yells.

"The journey through time destroyed my power...but I'll retake it here, from the people of Plegia," Grima shouts, enveloping himself in a dark aura. "The fell dragon and I are once again...whole!"

The evacuation is immediate. Everyone runs out of the hall and down the stairs.

Behind us, The Dragon's Table explodes in a bright light. Very loudly, I might add.

And a massive dragon hovers overhead. That's Grima.

"Look at the size of that thing," I mutter.

Lucina stares at Grima with a look of horror in her eyes.

"We need to perform the Awakening," Chrom mutters. "Robin, did you grab the last Gemstone?"

"Yup," Robin says, handing the Gemstone to Chrom. "Basilio, the Fire Emblem?"

"Got it right here." Basilio hands the Fire Emblem to Chrom.

"We need to perform the Awakening," Chrom declares, fitting the Gemstone into the Fire Emblem.

"We have to go to Mount Prism," Lucina says, snapping back to reality. "At the peak, an altar lays. That is where the first exalt paid tribute to Naga, and it is where the Awakening rite is conducted."

Robin nods. "Then we shall make for Mount Prism."


	10. Chapter 10

_Several years ago. Or perhaps, many years ahead. A forest on fire._

_Many Ylissean refugees lived temporarily within the depths of the forest. To flush them out, the dark master of the Risen devised a scheme to trap them between a fiery death and a legion of his soldiers. _

_Within the forest, a man is dying. His leg, crushed underneath a log. He pleads for the girl to kill him. Tears are in her eyes. No matter what she does, she can't save this man. He will die. _

_Lucina will never forget this moment._

* * *

><p>The barren desert fades away as we leave Plegia, and we race through the plains and fields of Ylisse toward Mount Prism. The land is beautiful, but there is no time to lose. We hurry past farming villages, not stopping even when the capital is within a stone's throw.<p>

Most of us are silent as we march. I don't think Lucina has said a word all day. Instead she stares blankly at the sky.

Even moving as fast as we can, we have to make camp in the woods for the night. The forest we make camp in is near the base of Mount Prism, and Robin plans for us to hike up in the morning.

I eye the tall mountain with a feeling of trepidation. I don't know why, but I get a vaguely familiar uneasy feeling. An unnatural chill runs up and down my spine.

Well, at least it doesn't smell like sulfur.

The light of the setting sun illuminates the west side of the mountain. The campfire is already lit, and food is already being cooked.

I join the others for the evening meal, choosing to ignore the feelings of discomfort that push themselves into my mind.

The night passes with a dreamless sleep. I awake just before dawn.

Another day, another ordeal.

I rise from my cot and put on my tunic and pants. A lot of the camp tends to sleep in a little later than me, but a few are awake at this hour. I know that Robin tends to wake up a little bit after me, and Lucina wakes up before me, while Chrom tends to snooze until a little after dawn.

It sort of disturbs me that I know that much about their sleeping habits. Well, we have all been living in close proximity for a while.

As I step out of my tent, the same chill as last night runs up and down my spine. I can't place when I've felt like this, but I get the distinct feeling that I'm walking into something bad. The grey, pre-dawn sky greets me as it does every day.

Lucina sits by the ashes of last night's cooking fire. She's donned her brown traveling cloak again.

"Hello," I say to her.

For a second, she locks up, hesitates, and then turns slowly to look at me. Her face is grim and her eyes are dead. "Good morning," she mutters back in a gravelly tone.

I sit down on the ground near her. We sit together and watch the sun begin to peek over the horizon without saying a thing.

From behind us, Robin steps out of his tent. His footsteps crunch on the ground as he walks up behind us. "Morning," he says. "Once we eat breakfast, Chrom and a handful of soldiers are venturing up the mountain to the peak."

"I figured," I say. "Do you expect any Risen to be up there?"

Robin looks grimly at the top of Mount Prism and narrows his eyes ever so slightly. "Of course. It's what I would do. So, are you two in?"

* * *

><p>As expected, Robin assembles a group to head up the mountain within minutes of breakfast's conclusion.<p>

The hike will be several miles up the mountain, carrying anything that might be needed in case of an ambush, in the early morning. Of course, we can't get too tired on the way up or else we might not be able to perform as well in a fight. So we're not going to be wearing any of the heavier armors, just in light armor.

Naturally, I'm one of the people hiking up the mountain.

As we start up the mountain, a wave of nostalgia hits me. Even though it was years ago and under far different circumstances, I can't help but think of long camping trips in the mountains. The memory of my father, smiling broadly as we reached the peak.

I want to see that smile again.

The hike isn't so bad when I hold that memory. The trail up the mountain is rougher than the ones back home, and I don't have the best shoes for a hike, but I'm happy when I focus on the memory of years ago.

Everyone else wears a determined look, but a small smile creeps onto my face as we press onward to the summit.

The summit is beautiful. A wonder of natural beauty.

In a word: serene.

It's indescribably beautiful. A massive waterfall lies toward one end of the small plateau, and a rainbow that never seems to fade lies in the sky to the north. The spots of forest are closely packed, and I can spot pieces of ruined buildings here and there, along with abandoned forts.

Another chill runs up my spine and the sightseeing is over. I can't shake this unsettling feeling, it seems.

"It's beautiful," Cordelia says. A content expression rests upon her face - a far cry from the hard look she's had around camp and during the bike up here.

Lucina, her drab traveling cloak slightly billowing in a mild breeze, nods slightly. "The divine dragon - her power flows through every blade of grass here. I have only been here twice before, long ago, but its beauty had not diminished."

Meanwhile, Robin surveys the land with a hard look on his face. His eyes narrow and he says, "Everyone, prepare for battle. Risen."

"Risen? Here?!" Chrom half-yells. "This is holy land!"

"Let's make this quick," Robin says. "Lucina. John. To the east, there should be some forts. Make your way there and defend them. Cordelia - you and Chrom make your way to the north and east. Eliminate any Risen you might find and meet us at the altar. Henry and I will make our way to the southeast. Hopefully, there's not too many of them."

* * *

><p>The forest grows thicker as Lucina and I make our way east, but soon we come across the forts. The cold, grey exterior of the fort makes it stand out from its natural surroundings.<p>

We silently march through the open front gate.

A trio of Risen await us, weapons in hand. I draw my steel from its sheath. In the corner of my eye, I see that Lucina holds Falchion in a ready stance.

The Risen shamble toward us. Lucina dashes in and bisects one. I follow and chop the second Risen's right arm off before impaling it. To my left, Lucina severs the head of the last Risen.

After a quick search, we find that the rest of the fort is devoid of Risen. Lucina and I carry the bodies of the dead Risen out of the fort, and then we wait just inside the gate at the ready for any other Risen.

"So," I say. "Earlier, you said you had been here before?"

Lucina nods. "Twice."

"In your future?" I ask after a moment.

"Yes," she says. "My second visit was to travel to this time."

I nod and turn my head toward the open gate.

A lone Risen approaches the fort. I draw my sword and walk calmly toward him. With a quick movement, I slice his left leg off and impale him.

With all this limb-severing, my blade's going to need a good sharpening.

* * *

><p>About a half-hour later, Robin and Henry slip in through the front gate. "Everything quiet here?" Robin asks, sitting down and drinking from a waterskin.<p>

"Yup," I say, taking a seat next to him. Lucina gets up and takes my spot as watchman.

"Weird," Robin says. "There weren't many in the forest. How many were in here when you first got here?"

"Three," Lucina says from her position watching the gate. "Two axe wielders and a swordsman. Not much of a fight."

"Something's not right." Robin puts a hand to his chin. "We've only come across a few Risen ourselves. There's no way Grima would just let us waltz up here and perform the Awakening, right?"

I look at the forest beyond the gate. "Do you think there's a trap?" I mutter.

Robin nods his head. "Grima's not a fool. He wouldn't let us just walk up here. If he could, he'd have a legion up here preventing us from reaching that altar." He stands up with a suspicious look on his face, eyes toward the open gate. "Me and Henry have only come across two patrols - six Risen - and we've covered a fair bit of ground." He looks down at me again. "Enough of this speculation. Come on, let's rejoin Chrom at the altar."

* * *

><p>Lucina guides us through the forest. The trees are thick, but we soon find the altar's entrance. Almost immediately after we reach the entrance, Chrom and Cordelia appear from the depths of the forest.<p>

"Good timing, Chrom. How many Risen did you kill?" Robin asks.

"Seven," Chrom responds. "You?"

"Nine, all combined." Robin pulls out a tome from his longcoat. "Ready yourself."

Chrom takes point as we slowly enter the sanctum. His right hand holds Falchion, and in his left is the Fire Emblem with all the Gemstones.

"Doesn't look like there's anyone here," Cordelia mutters.

"Don't let your guard down," Lucina responds in the same hushed tone. She tightens her grip on her Falchion and steps forward.

I relax my grip on my sword and stand up from ready position. "This could _not_ be a trap," I say.

A moment passes where nobody moves a muscle.

If this was a movie, this would be the perfect moment for all the Risen to jump out of the shadows and ambush us.

After several seconds, everyone else relaxes, too. Swords are sheathed.

"Well, that was underwhelming," Robin says. "Did Grima just fail to anticipate our moves?" His hand goes up to his chin in thoughtfulness. "There's no way."

"Let's discuss it after Chrom performs the Awakening," I suggest.

The components of the Awakening are placed upon the altar.

Well, really Chrom just puts the Falchion and the Fire Emblem on the altar. He then yells to the sky, "Hear me, Naga! I bear proof of our sacred covenant! In the name of the exalted blood, I ask for the divine dragon's power! Baptize me in fire, that I may become your true son!"

Naturally, he then violently bursts into blue-green flames.

They don't burn away his clothes, but they do cause him to scream a little bit. Just a little. I'm impressed at his pain tolerance. I know I'd scream my head off if I was set on fire.

The flames abruptly go out and he stumbles a little before falling to his knees. "I-I'm alright!" He yells, overjoyed at his survival. "I did it!"

From the heavens, a divine glow appears. Within the light, a form slowly takes shape. A woman, draped in ethereal silks.

"T-the divine dragon," Cordelia says, kneeling and bowing her head. Lucina also does so, and so I follow suit - with the exception of bowing my head.

So this...is the divine dragon, Naga? Not what I expected, but then again, I have yet to see a classical dragon like in the myths. These dragons seem to be markedly different.

"Be welcome, Awakener," the dragon says, her voice echoing and reverberating through the sanctum. "Your heart has been tested and deemed worthy. Cleansed in my fire, your desire has proven to be the stronger."

Chrom looks up at her. "Then I am granted the power to defeat Grima? The power of a god?"

Naga smiles. "Yes." And then her face resumes its neutral expression. "But know this: I am no god."

Lucina stands up from her kneeling position. "But...milady, you are the divine dragon!"

Naga smiles upon Lucina. "The sons of man have named me so. But what worth is in a name?" She picks up the Fire Emblem and holds it to her chest. "I am no creator. I do not possess the powers of making nor unmaking. And neither does Grima." She sets the Emblem down and eyes Falchion, setting on the altar. "Neither of us has the power to utterly destroy the other."

Chrom stands, slightly less confident than before. "Then what power do you grant me?"

Naga picks up the blade from the altar and it gleams in the sun, radiating light. "Falchion, carved from my fang, shall once again show its true power. The blade of the exalts is restored."

Chrom's mouth sets into a small, but noticeable frown. "But this does not have the power to destroy Grima."

Naga shakes her head. "Nay. Grima cannot be slain. With the restored Falchion, sleep will be your victory. Just as your ancestor out the fell dragon to sleep, you shall too. With the final blow, his slumber shall be resumed."

I speak up for the first time. "Is it possible to destroy Grima?"

Naga slightly raises an eyebrow at me. "There is a power that can destroy Grima. 'Twould be his own." Naga moves over to the altar and picks up the Emblem in one arm, and cradles Falchion in the other.

"Where is Grima?" Chrom asks, finally.

"To the west, on the waves, there is a volcano named Origin Peak." Naga hands Chrom his sword and shield. "You shall find the fell dragon there."


End file.
